Drastic action needed to prevent families running out of coping mechanisms

2 May 2008 - From Davos to the streets of Haiti, the global crisis in food prices has gripped the world, presenting new challenges to people and governments all across the globe. With malnutrition already being the single biggest contributor to child mortality, drastic action is needed to assist vulnerable families and prevent them from depleting their main assets. Once vulnerable households have sold their livestock, tools and belongings, the collapse into extreme poverty and acute malnutrition is inexorable.

Adapting to hunger

All across the world, millions of people are permanently living on a knife edge. In such vulnerable conditions, livelihoods are  already extremely fragile and it does not take much for an already precarious situation to become disastrous.

 “The inability to produce or purchase adequate amounts of food forces families to use other strategies to satisfy their nutritional needs,” comments Jean Michel Grand, Action Against Hunger’s Executive Director. At first, families employ coping strategies whose effects are theoretically reversible. Commonly, the first adaptation to hunger is to adjust food consumption, by reducing the number of meals and the quality of the diet. While the damage from such a constriction of diet can be minimal in the short-term, continuing this practice for too long may have permanent effects, especially on the growth and development of young children.

These coping mechanisms become progressively more irreversible and harmful as the food crisis deepens. As the situation deteriorates, families start selling their possessions to feed themselves and their children, but the sale of productive assets like tools, livestock, and land undermines a family's future ability to generate income and produce food. Eventually, when all coping strategies have been exhausted, truly desperate measures begin to be employed with people being forced into prostitution or to migrate in search for better opportunities.

Drastic action needed to prevent depletion of coping mechanisms

“We have reached a crucial moment,” comments Jean Michel Grand. “States, donors, civil society, international and national NGOs have to mobilise their resources to prevent this market crisis from becoming a widespread humanitarian crisis leading to civil unrest and riots.” Action Against Hunger has launched a food crisis emergency appeal in response to the crisis.

Action Against Hunger believes that interventions must be based on a rigorous analysis of the needs of the most vulnerable and the most effective methods of responding to these needs. While food aid can help prevent families from selling their assets in order to feed their children, this may only have a short–term effect if not complemented by other actions.  These must include investments into food production, measures to increase the purchasing power of the poorest and market controls.      

Action Against Hunger welcomes the UN’s initiative of setting up of a food crisis task force. A coordinated approach is paramount to prevent the current crisis from becoming a major disaster. As the world is working to address the crisis, it is crucial that all actions take account of the needs of the most vulnerable, one-size-fits-all solutions are avoided and resources are used adequately.

To donate to Action Against Hunger’s emergency appeal, please call 08705 100 722 or click here.

                                                                 ***ENDS***

Notes to editors:

• Action Against Hunger (ACF) is an international humanitarian organisation specialised in tackling hunger and malnutrition with projects in 43 countries. Its teams are directly helping over 4 million people worldwide.
• Action Against Hunger’s research and advocacy department Hunger Watch is based in London, providing detailed analysis and research on hunger and malnutrition, and its underlying causes. For the latest Hunger Watch publication The Justice of Eating, please contact us on 020 8293 6197.

Related articles:

18 April 2008 - Action Against Hunger launches food crisis emergency appeal (Read more...)